System for handling displacement of liquid products

ABSTRACT

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for dispensing an off-gassing liquid product mixed with a diluting product are provided. A liquid product or product solution is moved through an unprimed product line and towards a dispenser. The liquid product is combined with the diluting product to create a solution. The solution is dispensed. The product line is cleared of unused liquid product to unprime the product line after the dispensement of the solution. The unused product may be directed back into a product container from which it was held.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to provisionalapplication Ser. No. 61/734,532, filed Dec. 7, 2012, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed towards liquid dispensers. More particularly,but not exclusively, the invention is directed towards liquid dispensersdispensing an off-gas producing liquid product that is combined with adiluting product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection is a serious disease thattakes a heavy toll on the people afflicted with it. The organism sporesspread easily and are extremely difficult to kill. It has become such aproblem that it is one of the leading hospital acquired infections inthe United States. Reducing the spread of infection and addressingspores in the healthcare environment has become a focus area forhospitals, long term care facilities, other healthcare facilities, andother care centers.

Peroxides and peracids are two classes of chemicals known to effectivelykill/inactivate microorganism spores, and these classes of chemistry aregrowing in acceptance for use in combating C. diff in the healthcareenvironment. In a concentrated form, these chemistries are generallyquite harsh and often carry significant safety warning language andrequirements for use of personal protective equipment (e.g., chemicalresistant gloves, splash goggles, etc.). Despite the harshness of theconcentrate and safety requirements, these chemistries offer substantialbenefits of being able to be formulated for fast efficacy against C.diff spores and other bacteria and viruses, of having generally goodmaterial compatibility, of having good cleaning performance, and havinglittle to no residue upon drying. Additionally, when properly diluted tolevels intended for use in surface cleaning/disinfection, the dilutedform may no longer be as hazardous as the concentrated form of theproduct and may no longer require use of the same level of personalprotective equipment.

Concentrated dilute-on-site cleaning and disinfecting chemistries arepreferred in the market as they offer sustainability benefits of reducedpackaging and storage space requirements as compared to ready-to-usechemistries. On-site dilution is preferentially accomplished through adispensing system that mixes the concentrated cleaning or disinfectingproduct with a second dilution product (e.g., water). Dispensing systemsare preferred as they control the dilution rate and reduce the user'srisk of exposure to the concentrated cleaning or disinfecting product.Dispensing systems generally pull the concentrated cleaning ordisinfecting product from the product's package or container throughsome form of tube (product line) using a pump or venturi, blend it withthe second dilution product, and dispense the product through an outletwhere it can be put into a second container or directly used. In aconventional dispensing system, a foot valve, umbrella valve, or checkvalve is used on this product line to maintain prime in the productline. The liquid product in the product line is essentially containedbetween this foot/check valve and the outlet of the dispenser.

Peroxide and peracid chemistries decompose over time, resulting in gasformation (off-gassing). In a conventional dispensing system, thisoff-gassing can result in gas bubble formation on the inner wall of theproduct line tube that delivers the chemistry to the dispenser. Theformation of these bubbles in the product line displaces concentratedliquid product and can cause concentrated product to be displacedthrough the outlet of the dispenser. This represents a safety concernfor the end user as this type of concentrated chemistry has significantsafety warnings and requires significant personal protective equipment(gloves, splash goggles, face shield, gown, possibly respirator) when ina concentrated form.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for methods, apparatuses, and/orsystems to prevent or mitigate the displaced concentrated productdisplacing through a dispenser.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a principal object, feature, and/or advantage of thepresent invention to provide an apparatus, method, and/or system thatovercomes the deficiencies in the art.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present inventionto provide a liquid dispenser that does not allow displaced,concentrated product to dispense from the dispenser.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present inventionto provide a method of dispensing a liquid product using an unprimedproduct line.

It is yet another object, feature, and/or advantage of the presentinvention to provide a dispenser that is safe for an end user.

It is still a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the presentinvention to provide a system to capture any displaced liquid product ina product line.

These and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The presentinvention is not to be limited to or by these objects, features andadvantages. No single embodiment need provide each and every object,feature, or advantage.

According to an aspect of the invention, a dispenser that is safe forthe end user is provided. The dispenser can mitigate or completely solvethe issue associated with dispensing a chemistry that off-gases anddisplaces liquid product. One solution is achieved through a dispenserdesign that enables the product line to drain back into the productcontainer after each use to eliminate trapped product in the productline that can off-gas and displace concentrated chemistry. In the caseof the concentrated peroxide and peracid products, the productcontainers generally use a venting method to then handle the off-gassingof the chemistry in the product bottle. According to another aspect ofthe invention, a dispenser that is safe for the end user is provided.The dispenser can mitigate or completely solve the issue of displacingliquid in a system that has naturally reacting chemistry that can causeoff-gassing and displacement of concentrated liquid. The solution isachieved through different means of containing the displaced chemistryor allowing the displaced chemistry to be forced to a secondarycontainer or back into the product container.

According to an aspect of the invention, a method of dispensing anoff-gassing liquid product from a product container is provided. Themethod includes moving the liquid product through a product line andtowards a dispenser. The liquid product is combined with a dilutingliquid product to create a solution, and the solution is dispensed. Theproduct line is cleared of unused liquid product to unprime the productline after each dispensement.

According to another aspect of the invention, a dispensing system fordispensing an off-gassing liquid product mixed with a diluting productis provided. The system includes a dispenser including a dispenseroutlet, a product container containing the liquid product, an unprimedproduct line connecting the product container and the dispenser, and adiluter line operatively connected to the product line to combine theliquid product and the diluting product proximate the dispenser outlet.

The methods, systems, and/or apparatuses of the invention can be usedwith generally any type of liquid product in generally any industry. Forexample, the invention may be used with a product that, in itsconcentrated form, may be hazardous to handle. The invention providesfor a safeguard against accidental exposure of the concentratedsubstance, and aids in ensuring that only a diluted version of theliquid product is able to be dispensed. However, it should beappreciated that the invention can be used with generally anyoff-gassing or similar liquid, whether the liquid be hazardous or not.Furthermore, due to the flexibility of the invention, includingnonspecific product lines and other attachments, the invention can beused in generally any industry in which a concentrated or otherwisepotentially hazardous product is used such that the invention providessafeguards in the use of the product, no matter the type of industry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a product line containing a productchemistry that causes off-gassing in the product line.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dispenser system according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of some of the internal components ofthe dispenser of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the dispenser of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a dispenser system showing a ventedproduct container.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a dispensing system including adisplacement system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view of an embodiment of a displacement system used with thedispensing system of FIG. 6 and including a bladder.

FIG. 8 is a view of another embodiment of a displacement system usedwith the dispensing system of FIG. 6 and including a “v-trap”.

FIG. 9 is a view of another embodiment of a displacement system usedwith the dispensing system of FIG. 6 and including a canister with afloating ball.

FIG. 10 is a view of another embodiment of a displacement system usedwith the dispensing system of FIG. 6 and including a canister with anon-floating ball.

FIG. 11 is a view of another embodiment of a displacement system usedwith the dispensing system of FIG. 6 and including a canister with aspring-loaded disk.

FIG. 12 is a view of another embodiment of a displacement system usedwith the dispensing system of FIG. 6 and including an additional checkvalve incorporated with the product line.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a primed product line 52, or at least asection thereof. The primed product line 52 includes a liquid product40, which comprises a chemistry that produces bubbles 42 caused byoff-gassing. For example, the product might be a peroxyaceticacid/hydrogen peroxide chemistry, and the bubbles 42 or off-gassingoccur due to the natural decomposition of the product. Other chemistriesof liquid product may also cause similar reactions due to the naturaldegradation of the chemistry, which would also produce the bubbles 42 ofthe off-gassing. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to specificchemistries and/or products, and can be used with generally any type ofproduct and in generally any industry. The off-gassing forms bubbles 42that continue to build up on the wall of the product line 52. Thefailure of these bubbles 42 to propagate up and out of the line 52causes the volume of the bubbles 42 to displace that same volume ofproduct 40 upward and/or outward in the product line 52 towards thedispenser outlet 14. The displacement of the liquid product 40 out ofthe dispenser can create an unsafe condition, as the product 40comprises a concentrated product that can be hazardous. As shown in FIG.1, the product level could change from the level 53 up to and exceedingthe level 55 in the direction of the arrow 43 due to the off-gassing ofthe chemistry of the liquid product 40.

Therefore, the present invention includes various solutions to accountfor the displacement of the liquid product 40, in both the productcontainer 34 and an unprimed product line 38, as well as a primedproduct line 52.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dispensing system 10 according to anembodiment of the present invention. The dispensing system 10 includes adispenser 12 having a dispenser outlet or head 14. The dispenser outlet14 is configured to dispense a solution of combined concentrated liquid40 and a diluting product 28 such that the solution comprises a desiredor predetermined concentration of liquid product 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the dispenser 12 includes a dispenser enclosure 16comprising dispenser enclosure walls 18. FIGS. 3 and 4 show variouscomponents housed within the dispenser enclosure 16. For example, thedispenser outlet 14 may be positioned at least partially within thedispenser enclosure 16 and can extend therefrom. A mixing chamber 22,which may be an aspirator for combining the concentrated liquid product40 and the diluting product 28, may also be partially housed within thedispenser enclosure 16. Other elements that are positioned at leastpartially within the dispenser enclosure 16 include a diluter elbow 29for connecting a diluter line 24 to the mixing chamber 22, additionalaspirators or pumps connected to the product line 38 and productcontainer 34 for drawing the liquid product 40 to the mixing chamber 22,a product elbow connecter 39, and at least a portion of the unprimedproduct line 38. Other components may also be enclosed within thedispenser enclosure. In addition, not all the stated components need befully or even partially enclosed within the dispenser enclosure 16, andthe present invention contemplates other configurations for such adispenser 12.

Also shown in FIGS. 2-4 is a product enclosure 30. The product enclosure30 includes a plurality of enclosure walls 32, which may be hingeablyconnected to one another via hinges 31 to allow access to within theproduct enclosure 30. At least partially housed within the productenclosure 30 are a product container 34, container coupler 36, and atleast a portion of a product line 38, which may include an elbowconnecter 39 between the coupler 36 and line 38. As stated, the productcontainer 34 will include a concentrated liquid product 40 that is to becombined with a diluting product 28, such as water, to create a solutionhaving a desired concentration for cleaning or the like. The dilutersource is connected to a diluting product valve 15, and can include abutton 20 thereon to access the diluting product. The container coupler36 is configured to connect the product container 34 to the product line38 such that the product may be drawn from the container 34 and throughthe line 38 towards the mixing chamber 22 and dispenser head 14. It isnoted that a feature of the invention includes the omission of any checkvalves, foot valves, umbrella valves, or any other one way valves at theproduct container coupler 36 or within the product line 38. Thus, theproduct line 38 may be considered an unprimed product line 38.

The unprimed product line 38 allows for handling of a displaced liquidproduct due to the bubbles 42 created by the off-gassing of thechemistry of the liquid product 40. As stated above, in normal productlines, the bubbles 42 will cause the liquid product in a primed productline to displace through the product line and potentially out of thedispenser head. In addition, these primed product lines include a oneway valve, such as a check valve, to insure a prime or a storage ofliquid product in the product line between dispensement of the solutionthrough the dispenser 12. The configuration shown in FIGS. 2-4 mitigatesor prevents the displacement by allowing any liquid product notdispensed during dispensement of the solution to drain back into theproduct container 34 or a secondary container. The draining isaccomplished by the removal of one way valves in the product line 38,elbow connectors 39, container coupler 36, and/or container 34.

It is recognized that it is advantageous to have the product container34 and the container coupler 36 seal when they are disconnected fromeach other to prevent any quantity of concentrated liquid product 40from dripping or leaking from either the container 34 or coupler 36.Inclusion of valves in the container 34 and coupler 36 that are in aclosed position when the container 34 and coupler 36 are disconnectedand in an open position when container 34 and coupler 36 are connectedis contemplated. Inclusion of such valves enables the product line 38 tobe open and free of any blockages when the container 34 and coupler 36are connected, allowing the concentrated liquid product 40 to draincompletely from product line 38.

Therefore, the configuration shown in FIGS. 2-4 may be used in afollowing manner. The product container 34 containing a concentratedliquid product 40 is connected to an aspirator and mixing chamber 22 viaa valveless and/or valveless and unprimed product line 38 connected to acontainer coupler 36. A diluting source 26, such as a water source, isconnected to a diluting hookup 27, which includes a diluter or dilutingline 24 between the diluter hookup 27 and the aspirator/mixing chamber22. The connection may also include one or more diluter elbows 29 todirect the diluter line 24. When a solution (concentrated liquid productmixed with the diluting product) is to be used, a user activates thedispenser 12 to begin flow of the diluting product 28 and theconcentrated liquid product 40. The products may be drawn via anaspirator or pump, such as that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A coloring maybe added to the liquid product prior to moving the product to ensurethat the product is being moved towards the aspirator. The aspirator 22,including the size of the metering orifice connecting the product line38 and aspirator, and/or size of the line 38 are configured such thatthe correct ratio of diluting product 28 to concentrated liquid product40 is combined in the mixing chamber and dispensed via the dispensingoutlet 14 as a concentrated solution. Once the desired volume ofsolution has been dispensed from the dispenser 12, the aspirator(s)is/are deactivated. Upon deactivation of the dispenser 12, any remainingliquid product 40 in the product line 38 is allowed to drain back intothe product container 34 to clear the line 38 of any liquid product 40.The removal of liquid product 40 from the product line 38 may beaccomplished via a pump, suction, or vacuum created on the productcontainer 34, by force of gravity, or other means obvious to one skilledin the art. The removal of all liquid product 40 from the line 38mitigates and/or prevents any displacement of liquid product 40 throughthe dispenser outlet 14 at an undesired time. Thus, the liquid product40 is able to move fully through the product line 38 in both directions,as shown by the arrow 48 in FIGS. 3 and 4.

However, as the product line 38 will remain unprimed in between eachdispensement of liquid product 40 and the solution, the dispensingsystem 10 must also be configured to account for any lag or delay inmoving the liquid product 40 from the product container 34 and to themixing chamber 22 to provide a desired concentration of solution fordispensing. Steps may be taken into account for this delay. For example,the size of the product line 38 and/or size of the metering orificeconnected to the product line 38 may be varied to allow for more or lessconcentrated liquid product 40 to pass therethrough and to the mixingchamber 22. Furthermore, the dispenser 12 may be configured to haveminimum times and amounts of solution dispensed therefrom during eachdispensement to ensure that the end result of solution is a solutionhaving a desired concentration or composition. Other variations can beadded to the dispensing system 10 to ensure that the correctconcentration of liquid product 40 to diluting product 28 is found inthe dispensed solution.

In addition, it should be appreciated that the invention not be limitedto a liquid, concentrated product mixing with a diluting product. It isalso contemplated that a solid concentrated product be stored in thedispensing system and used to create a solution. In such a case, aliquid diluent can be mixed with the solid product to create a liquidproduct of a desired concentration. This can be stored at the locationof the solid product, or in a separate container until it is to be used.The liquid product can then be further diluted with another liquiddiluent, mixed with another liquid product, or used in its current formby the dispenser through an unprimed line. Once the use is complete, thecombined product can then be drained back to a product container, whichmay be in the same location as the solid product or may be the separateproduct container. This allows the invention to be used with generallyany type of product in which a liquid or semiliquid product isdispensed, and also allows the invention to be used in a larger varietyof industries.

The foregoing configurations provide numerous benefits over existingdispensing systems. For example, the design is much simpler thanexisting systems, and includes fewer parts therein. Thus, there arefewer parts that can break down or need replaced, increasing thelikelihood that the dispensed solution will be at a properconcentration. In addition, the configurations shown and describedallows for increased efficiency of the use of the liquid product 40 inthe container 34. As the liquid product 40 will not be displaced throughthe product line 38 and out the outlet head 14, the configuration willallow the full amount of product in the container 34 to be used beforehaving to be replaced. Furthermore, while there may be a delay infilling an unprimed product line 38 with product 40, the delay can beaccounted for and easily overcome by including or adjusting the linesize, minimum time of dispensing, minimum amount of dispensing, delayedpumping of diluting product 28, or the like. These changes may accountfor the delay in priming the line. However, the benefits of depriming orunpriming the product line 38 after each dispensement will overcome anysuch hurdles caused by the delay in pumping the product 40 through theproduct line for each dispensement.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the dispensing system 10 as shownabove. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a product container 34 connected toan unprimed product line 38 via a container coupler 36. As the unprimedline 38 will allow any unused liquid product 40 drained back into theproduct container, there may be more liquid product 40 stored in thecontainer 34 at a time. This stored product 40 will continue to producebubbles 42 formed by the off-gassing of the chemistry of the liquidproduct 40. These bubbles can create displacement and or pressure incontainer 34. Therefore, the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes the useof a vented fitment 44 included in the container coupler 36 between theproduct container 34 and the product line 38. The vented fitment may beany standard fitment as can be purchased in the art, and can beconfigured to be open and closed. For example, such a fitment mayinclude a passage therethrough with an ePTFE membrane therein to allowgasses to pass through the passage, while not allowing the liquid topass through. In addition, other liquid impermeable membranes may beused.

However, it should be appreciated that liquid permeable membranes mayalso be used such that some liquid is allowed to pass into the productline 38, while still allowing the gas from the bubbles 42 to escapeoutwardly from the product line and product containers 38, 34. As shownin FIG. 5, the vented fitment 44 may allow the gasses to pass as shownby the direction of the arrows 46. The arrow 59 shows the direction thatthe liquid product 40 may be pumped or otherwise moved towards thedispenser during dispensement of the solution.

While the vented fitment 44 is shown to be included with the containercoupler 36, it should be appreciated that a vented fitment may beincluded generally anywhere on the container 34. For example, a ventedfitment 44 including such a liquid impermeable membrane as discussedabove may be included in one of the walls of the container. Thus, thefitment may be open to allow the gasses formed by the chemistry of theliquid product 42 to pass through, while ensuring that the liquidproduct itself will not pass through. This will also ensure that thepassage from the container 34 to the product line 38 remains open andallows the liquid product 40 to pass through with ease. Otherconfigurations which will be obvious to those skilled in the art arealso contemplated to a part of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of another dispensing system 50 according tothe present invention and including a displacement system 60 connectedto a product line 52. The dispensing system 50 shown in FIG. 6 includesa portion of the dispensing system as discussed in relation to FIGS. 1-4above. As shown in FIG. 6, the dispensing system 50 includes a productcontainer 34 connected to a product line 52 that is further connected tothe mixing chamber 22 and other components of the dispenser as discussedabove. However, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the product line52 includes a check valve 54 or other one way valve positioned on theproduct line 52. Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, theproduct line will remained primed, i.e., filled with a liquid product 40in between dispensements of the solution through the dispenser head 14.For example, the check valve 54 may be an umbrella valve that allows theliquid product 40 to pass in a direction towards the dispenser, but doesnot allow the liquid product to drain back into the product container34. Furthermore, additional check valves 56 may also be included on theproduct line to hold a product in the product line 52 to keep theproduct line 52 primed.

As such, the liquid 40 in the primed product line 52 may becomedisplaced by the bubbles 42 created by the off-gassing chemistry of theliquid product 40. This displacement could cause the concentrated liquidproduct 42 to displace out of the dispenser head 14, which can cause anunsafe condition. Therefore, the configuration of the dispenser 50 shownin FIG. 6 includes the addition of one or more displacement systems 60operatively connected to the primed product line 52. For example, theone or more displacement systems 60 may be connected to the product line52 via a tee or wye fitting 58 positioned on the product line 52. Asshown in FIG. 6, the fittings 58 will still allow product 40 be passedthrough and in the direction of the arrow 59 towards the dispenser 12.It should be further appreciated that, while FIG. 6 shows multipledisplacement systems 60, and check valves 56, the present invention alsoincludes the use of only one check valve 54 and displacement system 60.

The displacement system 60 may take many different forms, but isintended to mitigate or prevent any displacement of the liquid product40 caused by the bubbles 42 formed due to the off-gassing chemistry ofthe liquid product 40. Therefore, the displacement system 60 may includea secondary container 64, or also may include a redirecting system toredirect any displaced liquid away from the dispenser head 14 until suchtime as the dispenser is activated to output a concentrated solution. Itis further contemplated that the system may include both a secondarycontainer 64 and a redirecting system as well. Thus, FIGS. 7-12 disclosevarious aspects of displacement systems 60 that may be used with thedispensing system 50 shown in FIG. 6. It is to be appreciated that FIGS.7-12 are not an exhaustive list of potential displacement systems, andthat the present invention contemplates that variations and changesobvious to the those skilled in the art are included as part of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 shows a displacement system 60 including a secondary container 64for accumulating any displaced liquid product 40 from the primed productline 52. Shown in FIG. 7, a tee fitting 58 is incorporated on the primeproduct line 52. A displacement tube 62 is connected to the tee fitting58 and includes a bladder 66 attached to the opposite distal endthereof. Therefore, as the liquid product 40 in the primed product line52 expands due to the bubbles 42 formed in the product line 52, anydisplaced product will be directed through the displacement tube 62 viatee fitting 58 and into the bladder 66. However, in the embodimentshown, the displacement tube 62 does not include a check valve or oneway valve, such that the accumulated, displaced product in the bladder66 may be evacuated upon the operation of the dispenser 12. For example,while the bladder 66 accumulates the displaced product, the aspiratorand/or pump of the dispensing system 50 will work to draw theaccumulated product from the bladder 66 to evacuate the bladder andcombine the displaced liquid with the primed liquid in the product line52 to move the product 40 in the direction as shown by the arrow 59 inFIG. 7 towards the dispenser. Thus, the displaced liquid product will beable to move in the directions shown by arrow 67 in the displacementtube 62. It is to be appreciated that the accumulated, displaced productin the bladder 66 may be the first used product upon dispensement, orthe product in the bladder 66 may be allowed to accumulate until suchtime that the bladder fills such that the operation of the dispenserwill naturally move the accumulated product from the bladder at the samerate as that taking from the product container 34. In addition, whilethe Figure shows a bladder 66 being used as a secondary container 64,the invention contemplates that other containers may be used, such thatthey are capable of storing the concentrated chemistry of the liquidproduct 40. The bladder may be made of a Teflon or kynar material suchthat the concentrated liquid product 40 will not erode or deterioratethe inside of the secondary container 64. However, other materials maybe used as well.

FIG. 8 shows another configuration of a displacement system 60 for usewith the dispensing system 50 of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 shows a v-trap designincluding a v-trap tube 68 attached to a tee fitting 58 positioned onthe primed product line 52. Any displaced liquid in the primed productline 52 enters the diverted v-trap tube 68 and continues to rise as moreliquid enters in the v-trap. The v-trap tube 68 may be evacuated uponthe next dispensement of the solution by the dispenser 12. Thus, thedisplaced product in the v-trap tube 68 may be moved in eitherdirection, such as that shown by the direction of the arrow 67 in FIG.8. Furthermore, a distal end of the v-trap tube 68 may include a v-trapcheck valve 70, which can be connected to a secondary container 64. Thev-trap check valve 70 may allow movement in only one direction such thatthe secondary container 64 accumulates and traps any displaced liquidproduct 40. Once the secondary container 64 has been filled with anamount of displaced liquid product 40, the container can be removed fromthe line and disposed of accordingly. However, the v-trap check valve 70may be configured such that the crack pressure of the valve 70 is suchthat the pressure may be overcome by the use of the pump or by theaccumulation of the product in the container 64. It is to be appreciatedthat the check valve 70 may not be included in all configurations, and asecondary container 64 may be simply attached to the distal end of thev-trap tube 68. In addition, the secondary container 64 need not beincluded at all in this configuration. However, as mentioned, thedisplaced liquid may be evacuated upon dispensement at the dispenserhead 14 of the solution to allow the displaced liquid to move in thedirection shown by the arrow 59 in FIG. 8 towards the mixing chamber 22and dispenser head 14.

FIG. 9 shows another configuration of a displacement system 60 for usewith the dispensing system 50. As shown in FIG. 9, a displacement tube62 is again attached to a tee fitting 58 positioned on the prime productline 52. At the distal end of the displacement tube 62 is positioned atube or canister 74. The canister 74 is shown to be a cylinder 76 havinga first end 78 and opposite second end 80. The first end 78 of thecylinder 76 includes a first insert 86 at the first end 78, while thesecond 80 includes a second insert 88 to be connected to the distal endof the displacement tube 62. The first and second inserts 86, 88 includeapertures therethrough to not fully close the ends of the cylinder.Thus, the first insert 86 allows for air or atmospheric pressure to passthrough, while the second insert 88 allows any displaced liquid to passtherethrough and into the interior of the canister 74. Positionedgenerally adjacent the inserts 86, 88 are first and second gaskets 82,84. First and second gaskets 82, 84 are positioned at the first andsecond ends 78, 80 of the cylinder 76. The inserts may also includeO-rings 90 to fluidly seal the inserts at the ends of the cylinder 76.Between the gaskets is positioned a ball 92, which may be considered afloating ball. It is noted that, while a ball 92 is shown and describedbetween the first and second gaskets 82, 84, other objects may be used.For example, a disk or other object could be included between thegaskets and allowed to move therein such that the object will seal thecanister when positioned adjacent the gasket.

The ball 92 rises as displaced liquid passes through the tee fitting 58,through the displacement tube 62, through the second insert 88, and intothe cylinder 76. The ball 92 rises as the liquid enters and seals off atthe first gasket 82 if the liquid level rises to that point. Thus, theball 92 will block any liquid from passing beyond the first gasket 82 ofthe canister 74. The canister 74 is evacuated upon the next dispensementof the solution and the ball 92 seals off the second gasket 84 when theliquid level has been completely evacuated, allowing product 40 to bepulled from the primed pickup line 52. Thus, in the configuration shownin FIG. 9, the liquid stored in the secondary container 64, i.e., thecanister 74, will be the first liquid product 40 used for combining withthe diluting product 28 to create the solution being dispensed from thedispenser 12. It is to be appreciated that the accumulated, displacedproduct in the cylinder 76 may be the first used product upondispensement, or the product in the cylinder 76 may be allowed toaccumulate until such time that the cylinder fills such that theoperation of the dispenser will naturally move the accumulated productfrom the cylinder at the same rate as that taking from the productcontainer 34.

FIG. 10 shows a displacement system 60 similar to that shown in FIG. 9.For example, FIG. 10 also includes the canister 74 including the gaskets82, 84 and ball 92. However, in the configuration shown in FIG. 10, theball 92 will seal off the first gasket 82 when the dispenser 12 is notin use, allowing the product 40 to be displaced into the interior of thecylinder 76 of the canister 74. When the dispenser 12 is activated 12,the liquid product 40 is evacuated as the ball 92 rises to seal thesecond gasket 84, thus allowing additional product 40 to be pulled fromthe primed pickup line 52.

FIG. 11 discloses yet another aspect of the present invention includinga displacement system 60 including a secondary container 64. Thesecondary container 64 of FIG. 11 includes a canister 74 comprising acylinder 76 having first and second ends 78, 80. First and secondinserts 86, 88 are included at the first and second ends 78, 80 to sealthe ends of the cylinder, while allowing liquid to pass through thesecond insert 88. In addition, first and second gaskets 82, 84 arepositioned adjacent the first and second inserts 86, 88. However, in theconfiguration shown in FIG. 11, a disk 94 is attached to a spring 96connected at the second end 80 of the cylinder 76. When the dispenser 12is not activated, the spring 96 forces the disk 94 downwards towards thefirst end 78 of the cylinder 76, which allows the canister 74 to fillwith any displaced liquid product 40. When the dispenser 12 isactivated, the liquid in the canister is evacuated as the disk 94 ispulled towards the second gasket 84, thus sealing the canister 74 andallowing for liquid product 40 to be pulled from the primed product line52 once the canister has been fully evacuated. As shown, the disk 94 mayinclude an O-ring 90 to aid in fluidly sealing the disk within thecylinder 76.

In addition, it should be contemplated that the orientation of thecanister may be reversed such that the canister extends generally upwardto reverse the flow of the liquid through the canister and towards thedispenser in the direction of the arrow 59 in FIG. 11. Furthermore, theorientation and configuration of the spring 96 can be varied as well.For example, the spring can be either a compression spring or anextension spring such that the accumulated product moves the disk 94away from second gasket 84, instead of the spring 96 maintaining thedisk 94 away from the second gasket 84. As such, the invention alsocontemplates that the canister need not be vertical, and can behorizontal or generally any angle. Thus, while FIG. 11 shows thecanister in a generally vertical manner, it should be appreciated thatthe present invention contemplates that the canister may be rotated atany direction with respect to both the vertical and horizontal plane.Furthermore, while a disk is shown as the object connected to the springbetween the gaskets, other objects, such as balls or the like, may alsobe used to create the seal.

FIG. 12 shows another configuration of the dispensing system 50. Asshown in FIG. 12, a product container 34 is connected to a dispenser 12via a primed product line 52 having a check valve 54 positioned on theproduct line 52 to maintain prime in the line between dispensements ofthe solution. A second valve 56 is positioned either at an upper portionof the product line 52 or offset from the product line and connected viafitting 58. The second or additional check valve 56 allows theoff-gassing chemistry of the product to create pressure and displace theproduct through the check valve, and into either a second container 64or back into the product container 34 via a displacement tube 62. Thismay be accomplished by having the additional or second check valve 56 tohave a lower crack pressure than the upper check valve 57. This allowsthe pressure and displacement to be removed from the product line 52 anddisplaced into the secondary container 64 or to be directed back intothe original product container 34. The configuration could also beaccomplished with a single fitting 54 attached to the product container34 with the upward facing check valve and downward facing check valve ina single fitting, and with the directional check valves having differentcrack pressures to allow the product to drain back into the productcontainer 34 only when the pressure reached a certain level in theproduct line 52.

The invention has been shown and described above and includes many othervariations not explicitly discussed or disclosed. In addition, thematerials of the components may be varied according to the chemistry ofthe product being combined with the diluting product to create thesolution. For example, the product lines and tubes may comprise ofTeflon, kynar, PVC, PE, HDPE, polvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), or othermaterial. In addition, the sizes, locations, orientations, and the likeof the containers, dispenser, product lines, and other connections maybe varied as well according to the type of product used and the desiredoutput for the product.

The foregoing description has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, and is not intended to be an exhaustivelist or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. It iscontemplated that other alternative processes obvious to those skilledin the art are to be considered to be included in the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of dispensing an off-gassing liquidproduct from a product container, comprising: moving the liquid productthrough a product line and towards a dispenser, said product lineextending from the product container to the dispenser; combining theliquid product with a diluting liquid product to create a solution;dispensing the solution; and clearing substantially all of the productline of unused liquid product to unprime the product line after eachdispensement by draining the unused liquid product by gravity; saidclearing the product line of unused liquid product comprises at leastsome of the unused liquid product being drained into the productcontainer via the same product line but in an opposite direct than whenthe liquid product is moved towards the dispenser.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the liquid product and diluting product are combined tocreate a solution having a desired concentration.
 3. The method of claim2 further comprising dispensing the solution for a predetermined amountof time such that the solution comprises a desired concentration.
 4. Themethod of claim 2 further comprising dispensing the solution to apredetermined volume to create a desired concentration.
 5. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising draining the unused liquid product from theproduct line after each dispensement.
 6. The method of claim 5 whereinthe unused liquid product is drained into both the product container anda secondary container.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprisingventing the product container to reduce displacement of the product. 8.The method of claim 1 further comprising coloring the liquid productprior to moving the product to ensure that the product is being moved.9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of moving the liquid productcomprises aspirating the product.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein thestep of moving the liquid product comprises pumping the product.
 11. Adispensing system for dispensing an off-gassing liquid product mixedwith a diluting, product, comprising: a dispenser including a dispenseroutlet; a product container containing the liquid product; an unprimedproduct line extending from the product container to the dispenser; anda diluter line operatively connected to the product line to combine theliquid product and the diluting product proximate the dispenser outlet;said unprimed product line configured to allow substantially all of anunused amount of the liquid product to drain, via gravity, from thedispenser and into the product container after use of the dispenser toprevent expansion of the product caused by the product chemistry; saidunprimed product line being the passage for removal and return of theliquid product.
 12. The dispensing system of claim 11 wherein theunprimed product line having no valves within the line.
 13. Thedispensing system of claim 11 further comprising a venting fitmentoperatively connected to the product container to vent gas and/orpressure produced by the liquid product.
 14. The dispensing system ofclaim 11 further comprising a mixing chamber attached to the dispenseroutlet.
 15. The dispensing system of claim 14 wherein the product lineand diluter line are attached to the mixing chamber.
 16. The dispensingsystem of claim 15 further comprising a bottle coupler positionedbetween the product container and the product line.
 17. The dispensingsystem of claim 16 wherein the bottle coupler and product containerinclude a valve for sealing each when not connected to one another. 18.The dispensing system of claim 16 further comprising a product enclosureat least partially surrounding the product container, the bottlecoupler, and at least a portion of the product line.
 19. The dispensingsystem of claim 18 further comprising a dispenser enclosure at leastpartially surrounding the dispenser, mixing chamber, and at least aportion of the product line and diluter line.
 20. The dispensing systemof claim 11 further comprising a pump operatively connected to theproduct line and configured to draw the liquid product from the productcontainer and towards the dispenser outlet.
 21. The dispensing system ofclaim 20 wherein the pump is also configured to move any unused liquidproduct towards the product container.
 22. The dispensing system ofclaim 11 wherein the unprimed product line allows fluid flow in eitherdirection for the entire length of the line.
 23. The dispensing systemof claim 11 wherein the unprimed product line comprises polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF).